Māori language in schooling
This report provides a snapshot of Māori Language Learning in the schooling sector as at 1 July. It reports on three categories of Māori Language in Education: Māori medium, Māori language in English medium, and students not involved in Māori language in education.
Last updated: October 2025
Māori medium
Māori medium education includes students who are taught the curriculum via Māori language for at least 51 percent of the time (Māori Language Immersion levels 1-2).
As at 1 July 2025, there were 28,382 students enrolled in Māori medium education, representing 3.3% of the total school population; a 4.6% increase compared to July 2024. Of the 28,382 students involved in Māori medium education, 95.7% identify as Māori.
As at 1 July 2025, there were 362 schools with at least one student enrolled in Māori medium education, which is 18 schools more than in July 2024. Of these 362 schools, 124 had all eligible students in Māori medium and 238 also offered Māori language in English medium.
| Māori language immersion level | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Change 2024-25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1: 81-100% | 16,746 | 17,313 | 17,621 | 18,298 | 19,646 | 20,407 | 761 |
| Level 2: 51-80% | 5,645 | 5,848 | 6,745 | 7,526 | 7,479 | 7,975 | 496 |
| Māori medium total | 22,391 | 23,161 | 24,366 | 25,824 | 27,125 | 28,382 | 1,257 |
Māori language in English medium
Māori language in English medium involves students who are learning Te Reo Māori as a language subject, or who are taught the curriculum via Māori language for up to 50 percent of the time (Māori Language Immersion levels 3-5).
As at 1 July 2025, 31.1% of the total school population were involved in Māori language in English Medium, compared to 30.6% in July 2024. The total number of students involved in Māori language in English medium increased by 2.3% (5,879 students). Of the total 266,199 students enrolled, 31.6% identified as Māori. As at 1 July 2025, 1,403 schools offered Māori language in English medium: an increase of 40 schools since 1 July 2024.
| Māori language immersion level | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Change 2024-25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 3: 31-50% | 9,685 | 10,200 | 10,986 | 13,263 | 15,086 | 15,620 | 534 |
| Level 4(a): up to 30% | 10,585 | 14,491 | 16,336 | 20,905 | 23,808 | 25,316 | 1,508 |
| Level 4(b): at least 3 hours | 35,441 | 44,776 | 51,596 | 59,272 | 79,294 | 87,396 | 8,102 |
| Level 5: less than 3 Hours | 132,337 | 139,418 | 141,409 | 143,482 | 142,132 | 137,867 | -4,265 |
| Māori language in English medium total | 188,048 | 208,885 | 220,327 | 236,922 | 260,320 | 266,199 | 5,879 |
No Māori Language in Education
As at 1 July 2025, 65.6% of the total school population (561,831 students) were not enrolled in Māori Language in Education (Māori Immersion levels 1-5).
Of these students, 20,809 were not eligible for Māori Language Programme (MLP) funding; this included Alternative Education students, International Fee-Paying students and students enrolled in Secondary-Tertiary Programmes. 286,384 students were recorded as learning Taha Māori: simple words, greetings or songs in Māori. The remaining 254,638 students were eligible for Māori Language Programme (MLP) funding but did not receive any Māori language learning at any level.
| Immersion level | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Change 2024-25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 6: Taha Māori | 349,663 | 336,452 | 316,397 | 308,495 | 293,554 | 286,384 | -7,170 |
| No Māori language learning | 246,516 | 242,099 | 240,610 | 242,640 | 250,578 | 254,638 | 4,060 |
| Not eligible for MLP funding | 19,729 | 15,975 | 13,451 | 17,157 | 19,422 | 20,809 | 1,387 |
| No Māori Language in Education total | 615,908 | 594,526 | 570,548 | 568,292 | 563,554 | 561,831 | -1,925 |
Pivot tables
These spreadsheets provide the underlying data for Māori Language in Education and allow you to create your tables by any combination of variables. Both spreadsheets have the option of school type variables (such as affiliation), and regional type variables.
- Pivot table: Student numbers 2000-2025[MS Excel 8.5MB]
- Pivot table: Student numbers with ethnicity 2004-2025[MS Excel 13.7MB]
- Pivot table: School numbers 2000-2025[MS Excel 1.3MB]
School data dimensions
Year
Data is presented as at 1 July of each year 2000 through to 2025.
Level of immersion
Māori language learning describes students being taught at different levels of Māori instruction. Each level is defined by the proportion of time the student is taught using Te Reo Māori
- Level 1: 81-100%: Curriculum is taught in Māori for more than 20 and up to 25 hours a week.
- Level 2: 51-80%: Curriculum is taught in Māori for more than 12.5 and up to 20 hours a week.
- Level 3: 31-50%: Curriculum is taught in Māori for more than 7.5 and up to 12.5 hours a week.
- Level 4(a) 12-30%: Curriculum is taught in Māori for more than 3 and up to 7.5 hours a week.
- Level 4(b) at least 3 hours: Students are learning Te Reo Māori as a separate subject for at least 3 hours a week.
- Level 5 less than 3 hours: Students are learning Te Reo Māori as a separate subject for less than 3 hours a week.
- Level 6 Taha Māori: Students learn Māori songs, greetings, and simple words.
- No Māori language education: Students in school roll not recorded at any level of Māori language learning.
- Not applicable: Māori Language in Education information is not collected for these students.
Māori Language in Education
Māori Language Immersion levels can be grouped into 3 different Māori Language in Education categories.
- Māori medium: Students are taught all or some curriculum subjects in the Māori language for at least 51 percent of the time (Māori Language Immersion levels 1-2).
- Māori language in English medium: is where students are learning Te Reo Māori as a language subject, or taught curriculum subjects in the Māori language for up to 50 percent of the time (Māori Language Immersion levels 3-5).
- No Māori Language in Education: Students are either involved in Māori Language Immersion Level 6 – Taha Māori (Simple words, greetings or songs in Māori) or not recorded as receiving Māori Language Immersion at any level.
- Not applicable: Māori Language in Education information is not collected for these students. Includes Alternative Education Students, International Fee-paying students from 2010 onwards, and Secondary Tertiary Programme students from 2013 onwards. Students may study at any level of Māori language Learning, but the school does not receive Māori Language Programme funding for these students.
Māori language descriptor
Data is presented as at 1 July of each year 2000 through to 2025.
A description of what levels of Māori Language in Education are available at the School
- Māori-medium school: All students are involved in Māori-medium
- School with some students in Māori-medium: Some students do Māori-medium and the rest do no Māori Language in education
- Mixed Māori Language in Education school: All students are either involved in Māori-medium or Māori language in English medium.
- School with some students in mixed Māori Language in Education: Some students do Māori-medium, some do Māori language in English medium, and some do no Māori Language in Education.
- Māori language in English medium school: All students are involved in Māori language in English medium.
- School with some students in Māori language in English medium: Some students do Māori language in English medium, and the rest do no Māori Language in Education.
- No Māori Language in Education school: No students do Māori-medium education or Māori language in English medium.
- Not applicable: Information is not collected for these schools (i.e Health Schools) or the school currently has zero students on their roll.
Year level
The number of years of schooling a student has received, also known as funding year level. The funding year level for most students is based on the date they first started school. It is independent of the way schools are organised and independent of the particular programme of study that a student may undertake.
School ID
The individual identification code a school is given by the Ministry of Education.
School name
The name of the school as at 1 July of the year.
School type
The type of the school, for example Full Primary (Year 1-8), as at 1 July of that year. Typically based on what year levels the school offers, but also includes further information e.g. Correspondence school, Specialist school, Teen Parent Unit etc. See "School: Sector" for a broader grouping, and "Student: Year level (Grouped)" for a student-based sector grouping.
School sector
Schools are grouped (by school type) into four sectors of schooling education, Primary, Secondary, Composite and Specialist. See "School: Type" for a more detailed grouping, and "Student: Year level group" for a student-based sector grouping.
School authority
The ownership of the school for example State, State-Integrated and Private as at 1 July of that year.
School gender
The gender of the students that a school caters for, for example, co-educational, boys’ school. A small number of single sex schools can have some students of the opposite sex on their roll. These students can only access the education they need at these 'opposite sex' schools i.e. adults or special needs students.
Affiliation type
Whether a school has a religious or organisational affiliation, as at 1 July of that year. Only schools that requested an affiliation are included in that affiliation group, this dimension is most commonly represented for State-Integrated schools. See "School: Affiliation" for a more detailed grouping.
School affiliation
The religious or organisational affiliation of schools, for example, Roman Catholic, Montessori, as at 1 July of that year. Only schools that requested an affiliation are included in that affiliation group, this dimension is most commonly represented for State-Integrated schools. See "School: Affiliation Type" for a broader grouping.
Kaupapa Māori education peak body affiliation
Identifies whether a school or kura is affiliated with one of the Kaupapa Māori education peak bodies. For schooling the two peak bodies are:
- Te Runanga Nui o Ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori o Aotearoa (TRN)
- Ngā Kura ā Iwi o Aotearoa (NKAI)
Education region
The education region where the school is located. These twelve administrative regions are created by the Ministry of Education and are aligned with the Ministry's local offices.
Regional council
The regional council area where the school is located. Regional council boundaries are defined by Statistics New Zealand.
Territorial authority
The territorial authority area where the school is located. Territorial authority boundaries are defined by Statistics New Zealand. Auckland super city has been subdivided into local board. For more information about Auckland city local boards see Auckland Council website.
Ministry of Education local office
The Ministry of Education local office district where the school is located.